I have no idea what was going through Pharaoh’s mind on the night of the tenth plague. Pain, definitely. Guilt, probably. Anger, maybe.
But repentance? Doubtful.
Nevertheless, there’s a curious note in Exodus 12:32 of Pharaoh asking Moses to bless him as he leaves Egypt. There’s zero question that Pharaoh wants him and his people gone. That much is confirmed by Exodus 12:31-32 where he tells them all to leave, and take their flocks and their herds with them.
But why does Pharaoh ask Moses to “bless [Pharaoh] also”? The punishment has already been inflicted; what could be changed?
Practically speaking, this is just another one of Pharaoh’s change of hearts that he has shown throughout the book so far. One minute, he’s incredibly contrite and begs Moses to intercede on his behalf. The next, he hardens up his constitution and refuses to allow them out the door.
The only difference with the tenth plague is the scale. Pharaoh has obviously been moved by the death of so many in Egypt, but once the Israelites are gone, he will mount his chariots and try to ride them down in the desert.
That’s why the tenth plague of Egypt is the last plague. Not only because God told Moses it would be (Exodus 11:1), but because Pharaoh will die in its aftermath. And with his firstborn son out of the picture, Egyptian rule will either change dynastic hands or a regent king will reign in place of a way-too-young ruler.
Either way, everything changes after this night.
We don’t have to look too far back into our own history to see how tumultuous the changing of power can be. With an event like this that destroys multiple generations of a royal line, the change in power is even more dramatic. A power vacuum is created that will force several competing hands into the middle.
Maybe that will happen, maybe it won’t. But for Pharaoh, his army, and everyone else that’s involved the administration, the tenth plague of Egypt is the last one they’ll ever see.
If they had just listened, they never would have seen any of them to begin with.
